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@uitrit gisten gstellt @Hire SCHOOL AND FAMILY SLATE.

JOHN H, FRENCH, OF GEDDES, NEW YORK.`

Letters PatentNo. 60,356, dated December 11, 1866.

TO ALL WHOM-IT MAY CONCERN:

B'e it ,known that I, JOHN H. FRENCH, of Geddes, in the county of Onondaga, and `State of New York,"

have invented a new and` improved School and Family Slate; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a i full, clear, and exact `description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the artto` malte `anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- l Figure 1 represents a face view of this invention.. l 'l `I Figure 2 is a transverse 'vertical section of the same.

Similar letters of .reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a-Vslate, the frame of which is made in two compartments, one lof which contains a slate, while the other is soA constructed aszto admit of the insertionof any convenient `number of cards of pasteboard, paper, or other material, upon which are printed, drawn, painted; orpliotographed lessonsor copies for writing, printing, marking,.or drawing, and exercises in arithmetic, either any, or allfcombined in such a manner that the pupil is enabled tojcopyzthe lessonsI upon the slate in the other part of `the frame below, and

that he `has a great variety of exercises always in convenient reach. y The operationof copying the lessons is` t materially facilitated by horizontal, perpendicular, or slope lines permanently pressed, drawn, marked, stamped,

printed, ruled, or cut upon a part or the whole of one or both surfaces of the slate as guide lines, whereby the pupil is enabled to make his letters, figures, and drawings of the proper proportionate heights; widths, andfslope,

A represents a frame, made of wood or any other suitable material, and of anylconvenientsize.4 `This c frame is divided in two compartments, B C, one of which is intended to receive the cards containing the lessons,`

and the other the slate.

Said slate may be made of natural slate, or of any other material used for slatesc` Upon a part or the ,l whole of one or both surfaces of this slate, I produce horizontal, oblique, and perpendicular lines,fas follows: The horizontal lines are parallel and equi-distant, and of the proper distance apart to give good proportions to t the short, stem, loop ,andccaptal letters and figures in printing and writingi The slope or oblique lines cross` some of the horizontal lines, at any angle preferred, to correspond to the slope of `the `writing to lbe taught,

and of the proper distance apart to give good proportions to the width of the letters. The 'perpendicular lines are parallel and equi-distant, and are designedlas guides to thel pupil in properly s'pacirigdhis Vprinted letters` and figures in width, and in proportioning his drawings. The compartment B of the frame which contains lthe slate is separated from the compartment C by cross-piece, a, which is groovedl on one` side to` receive the ls late, while its other side is partially cut away, rendering the same similar to that partof a window-sash. l,into which the glass is put `before it is fastened with putty. Into this compartment I pnt `the cards res ,conf i taining the lessons,'to the number of twenty, thirty, fty, more or less, according 'to the Athickness `of the Acards and the depth of the' compartment C. These cards are printed upon bothvsides,iuponyone side beingV 'copies of letters, words, and figures for writing Aand printingfwith, the space lines upon some of tl1`em,corre' sponding to the spacin g on the slate in thelqwer compartment, and upon the other side drawinglessons and exercises in arithmetic. To keep the c'ards securely in their places in the frame, I attacha cross-piece, IZ, of p wood or metal to the cross-piece projecting above its upper end, thus forming a groove on the lower partgof the upper compartment, andalso attachone or more buttons, e, or other suitablefastenings, made oi' brass or other suitable material, to the upper side or to the ends, or both, of the upperl compartments in such a manner that the same can be.' readily turned out of the way when I wish to remove or change'tlie cards.` The cards having ,y

drawing lessons and exercises in arithmetic upon one side, and writing and printing' vlessnns and figures onthe other, if kept with the drawing lessons all facing one way, will always, when in the frame, present writingand printing lessons on one side of the slate, anel,drawing and arithmeticlessons on ,the opposite side.` Onesideof the slate, left plain, is in no respect different from a common slate, and can` be used for all the `purposes for whichthe ordinary slatel is-used.` To one side of a piece of board, or'other suitable material, of the samcsize asl one ofthefcands, I attach, byvgluing, pasting, or'otberwise, 'printed directipns for the `use of the slate and cards, and the other side -I cover with a piece of sand-paper, or emery paper, to be used as a pencil sharpenerf said card thus formed being one of the series of cards connected with the use 'of the slate.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isw- 4 1. The frame A, made with two compartments, one of which contains a slate, While the other is so constructed as to admit of the insertion of any convenient number of cards of pasteboard or other material, containing lessons or copies for Writing, printing, marking, or drawing, land exercises in arithmetic, either any or all combined, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The arrangement in one or both surfaces of a slate of permanent perpendicular and slope lines in combination with the ordinary horizontal lines, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN H. FRENCH.

Witnesses SIMEON SPULDING, WILLIAM HART. 

